Year-Round Residents

Present at Palo all year, these bird species often maintain their territories even during the nonbreeding season. Changes in the capture rates of these species are most likely to reflect changes to the local habitat and climate. While most of these populations are relatively stable, we have seen declines in Nuttall’s White-crowned Sparrows and Song Sparrows, thought to be related to the local habitat changes.


Photo by Point Blue


Photo by Miguel Demeulemeester / Point Blue


Photo by Miguel Demeulemeester / Point Blue


Photo by Amon Armstrong / Point Blue


Photo by Point Blue
Seasonal Migrants

Present at Palomarin only for part of the year, Neotropical migrants spend the spring and summer breeding season with us, then migrate to the tropics of Latin America to spend their winter. Changes in the capture rates of these species may reflect a combination of changes in habitat or climate in the tropics, along their migration routes, or local effects of changes at Palomarin.

For both of these species, trends in capture rates (from our forested mist-netting area) tell a different story than the growing number of nesting territories throughout other parts of the Palomarin study area, which are undergoing rapid habitat change.


Photo by Hannah Conley / Point Blue


Photo by Ian Tait / Point Blue

Neotemperate migrants spend the summer as far north as Alaska, and then migrate to spend the winter with us. Changes in the capture rates of these species may reflect changes in habitat or climate in Alaska or Canada, along their migration routes, or local effects of changes at Palomarin.


Photo by Hannah Conley / Point Blue


Photo by Ryan DiGaudio


Photo by Miguel Demeulemeester / Point Blue